<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>1984 by spider_mar</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28676157">1984</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spider_mar/pseuds/spider_mar'>spider_mar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries &amp; Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Humor, F/M, Family Drama, Family Secrets, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Klaus Mikaelson Has A Heart, Multi, Other, Pining Klaus Mikaelson, Possible smut, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Why do I do this to myself, a little bit AU, a lot of flashbacks to the past</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:53:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28676157</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spider_mar/pseuds/spider_mar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>𝘐𝘕 𝘞𝘏𝘐𝘊𝘏  an empath won't allow<br/>history repeat itself and become<br/>a victim of destiny by giving into<br/>true love.<br/>❛❛I promise, mom, I won't ever fall in love. ❜❜</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Damon Salvatore/Original Female Character(s), Elijah Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Klaus Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Kol Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Extended Summary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were a few reasons why Klaus Mikaelson completely loathed the 80's.</p><p>The music. The hair. And on top of the list? Those damned witches.</p><p>If There was one redeemable quality of the 80's you ask?</p><p>Her.</p><p>I know it sounds quite sentimental coming from someone like him. But the passing of the years and the loneliness of empty houses and hotels made him want to desperately have someone worth coming back home to.</p><p>That's exactly the reason why he was in San Francisco. Although, if you ask him now, he will probably deny it.</p><p>He had arrived at The City after speaking to an old trusty witch in Arizona. She was especially known for her charms, potion skills, and psychic abilities. Klaus had to admit that forever in his life witches were a pain in the ass, tricky, overemotional; and this one wasn't any different.</p><p>After several questions about the moonstone he so desperately needed and only receiving negative answers and not even the slightest effort for a locator spell from her part, he reconsidered having her on top of his favorite witch list. The old witch had redeemed herself though, admitting that her gifts were limited to what she could read in the leaves of her teacup and that if he were to ever find a lead The Wardwell's would be the answer.</p><p>He quickly inquired about those Wardwell's she had mentioned, she gave him a wicked smile that made him regret his decision and she simply answered with;</p><p>"They're skilled in the unforeseen and witted with the mysteries of the soul. A true power. If you're ever to find an answer about that stone of yours they're your girls."</p><p>But suddenly it wasn't what she had to say about some old rock, it was what she had to say about him. She dared to read him as if he believed in some higher force influencing his decisions as if destiny ever did anything good for him. She dared to read inside her mug and say;</p><p>"If you're ever to find true love. You'll find it there, yes you will, it is in the cards and the stars. And they never lie."</p><p>He laughed of course. Who could possibly love him? It wasn't something that just happened, something that was fated to be, people either left or died around him. But the hopefulness in her words made him wonder. What if?</p><p>So that's why he was in number 17th of Bloomfield Street in front of a black fenced manor, staring at the wooden door, listening in to faint laughter and a slight smell of sage and lavender. About to knock on the door of true love.</p><p>Or at least a moonstone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. How it all started</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>San Francisco, 1984.</p><p>HE HAD DONE IT. He knocked on the Wardwell's door. And his palms were sweaty. Not once in his thousand years of life (and still counting) was he ever a victim of sweaty palms, a stomach filled with butterflies maybe, on rare occasions, but never that.</p><p>At the other side of the door, the faint laughter had turned to whispers. A few seconds later it opened, suddenly revealing a young woman in her twenties. Klaus observed her kind features, she had smooth looking skin and was without a doubt in his mind beautiful. Her hair was shoulder-length, dark, and had loose waves framing her face. She wore a long flowy summer dress with wildflowers printed on it, lastly, his eyes trailed down her arms to her hands, she had an engagement ring.</p><p>The original bit his tongue silently punishing himself for even looking. That damned witch actually had his hopes up.</p><p>The nameless girl observed him back with deep brown eyes, he smiled at her, but in return she held her chin high, clearing her throat. The girl gave a quick glance behind the door and spoke solemnly. "We were waiting for you."</p><p>He raised a brow, amusement noticeable on his features. She was obviously aware of what he was, she acted weary and made sure to stand far from the door frame. He stepped forward, "Very well then, may I come in?"</p><p>The brunette paused for a moment, sending a side look behind the door once again as if the oak it was made of could actually speak to her. He sensed she wasn't alone, "No. Sorry, we can't help."</p><p>Klaus opened his mouth to respond but she closed the door in a swift movement. The vampire blinked, furious. He had traveled all the way from Arizona, hell, he traveled all over the world, those damned witches kept pulling him up and down. He was risking his own life and his sibling's safety by being out in the open, he was being chased by his own father who was hunting him. And she closes the door on his face?</p><p>Perplexed. He stepped down the porch. Shaking his head in disbelief, he couldn't even force entry there was no way they would let their guard down now. Once he had left the garden, the old gate closed on his behind. He knew it wasn't an accident.</p><p>He stood on the sidewalk observing the old manor. Klaus was known all his life to be rather impatient, but this time he felt he could wait for her to get out of that damned house for days. It didn't really matter to him. So he waited; sometimes in his car, other times he would walk around the neighborhood. He had compelled himself inside many neighbors' houses. And two days later, in the middle of the afternoon, she finally stepped outside. He had to admit, her tenacity was rather impressive.</p><p>She walked down the street weary of her surroundings, glancing back once or twice. She slowly made her way to the public park behind her house. He knew because he spent a few afternoons there himself, drawing the swans. He followed her all the way to the small man-made lake where she sat down in the perfectly green grass and proceeded to read peacefully.</p><p>Klaus didn't think it twice and sat down next to her. She paid no mind to his presence for a few seconds until he saw her head slightly turned in his direction. The girl became stiff, he could hear her heart thumping faster and faster in her chest. He smiled.</p><p>"I told you, we can't help you," She murmured.</p><p>"I am Klaus Mikaelson."</p><p>Her head turned abruptly toward him, confused. Klaus internally thanked whatever god was up there for the sight. Her brows were furrowed with confusion. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"</p><p>He proceeded to lay down, hands behind his head looking up through the branches of the tree, he admired how the rays of sun made their way through the leaves, making them look like stars, "It should," Klaus answered, simply.</p><p>"It doesn't. Now if you excuse me. I'm leaving." She stated carefully. As she stood up she fixed her pants that were now stained with a slight hue of green and grabbed her book from the floor.</p><p>"If you leave. I will grab the first person I see and tear out their heart," when their eyes found each other again he smiled wickedly at her, "And then someone would've died because of you."</p><p>Penelope was so shocked at his statement that she completely held her breath, she looked at him in disbelief. He was playing around with murder, sneaked it into the conversation like the most normal thing in the world. But it wasn't her world.</p><p>She made a wise choice and sat back down because she knew, she felt it radiating from him; Klaus Mikaelson was angry. It didn't seem like it, all smirky and dandy, but she could tell he was filled with hostility, anger. She guessed that it wasn't atypical of him.</p><p>They sat in silence for a moment. Penelope was recollecting her thoughts as she watched him carefully, he was without a doubt handsome, with deep blue eyes and plump lips. She frowned, it wasn't his looks that made her nervous, it was his intent. He had somehow found them and was looking to get something out of it. Any practicing witch knew about vampires and lived as modestly as possible to never be noticed by them. And she knew somehow that she was just spotted by the worst of them all.</p><p>"What do you want from me?" She begged in a whisper.</p><p>"I've been told by a very trusty witch that you can help me find something I lost." He answered, ungluing his eyes from the tree and back at her.</p><p>"What happens if I say no?"</p><p>"I waited days for you to get out of that house, love. I will wait. For whoever long it takes," he stood up in a flash, her eyes took a few seconds to adjust, when she looked up he was staring down at her.</p><p>He smirked, "Forever even."</p><p>She looked around to make sure no one had seen his little stunt, "If I help you, you'll leave? Forever?"</p><p>Klaus raised his brows with an amused smile on his lips, with his right hand he crossed his heart, "Boy scout's honor."</p><p>Penelope rolled her eyes at his childish behavior but nonetheless nodded. When he put his hand out to help her up she took it.</p><p>"We'll go to my house. No one is there until the afternoon," she spoke, watching him, "No funny business. In public, I might hesitate but you try to hurt me and I will fry your brain."</p><p>He squinted his eyes at her, annoyed by her threat, she felt the effect it had on him and smiled in a smart-ass type of way, turning her back at him, her ponytail deliberately hit him in the face as she kept walking.</p><p>Her action made him take a long deep breath before following her, otherwise, he would've had to break someone's neck along the way just to cool off.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>•─────⋅☽༓☾⋅─────•</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>PENELOPE HAD BEGRUDGINGLY let Klaus Mikaelson in. The vampire was cocky and bossy. He often had aggressive outbursts that she didn't quite understand, worst of it? They only met five minutes ago. But a thought kept creeping inside her mind, she couldn't stop thinking how she was somehow betraying her mother's trust by letting a vampire in, she warned her over and over again, and yet there she was.</p><p>Although she was worried and uneasy Penelope wasn't weak, she could eventually take him. If something were to happen, she was strong enough. Ever since she had reason her mother told her that there is something special about the Wardwell's, something different. They had gifts not many did. They came from a long line of distinguished witches who had the power of empathy.</p><p>Now that power wasn't as easy to tackle as many people would think, one doesn't just see, feel, and understand any living being without practice and a little loss of sanity. But there was a downside to everything. Ever since the very beginning of times, their magic had been selective, meaning that it had a tendency of jumping generations. In her family there were always two siblings in every marriage, one had active powers, the other didn't. No one ever found an explanation why. Some things are what they are.</p><p>And Penelope was an empath, much to her sister's dismay.</p><p>Penelope was skilled and strong, the apple of her mother's eye since she achieved something only their ancestor Cordelia Wardwell could; Foresee the future. Some say she saw herself hang at the hands of her lover, and that's why she ran away from Salem a hundred years ago leaving everyone in her coven behind. A mistake that sometimes followed the Wardwell's along until today. Not to say they were hated in the community, but some people did not like them very much.</p><p>Penelope made a curious Klaus follow her upstairs to the attic. He had been touching and opening doors along the way, purposely getting on her nerves. She was scared her mother would sense it the second she got back. That's why she decided the attic would be the smart choice, it was small, but she kept her personal magical antics in there. And in case someone were to come home she could easily throw him off the highest window. Perhaps it would hurt.</p><p>Once they reached the door, she unlocked it and motioned him inside. He cockily entered the room making sure to graze his shoulder with hers as he did, and immediately made himself at home; sitting down at the table that was placed at the center of the room. A book sat at the center of the clothed table, completely unbothered, that was until Klaus tried to touch it and Penelope smacked his hand away.</p><p>"Do not touch my book," Penelope warned. Sitting in the chair in front of him. He scoffed at her but obeyed. She didn't think it twice and with a bored look on her face twisted the book facing her opening it, "Witchy services are now for hire. What do you want from me."</p><p>He fixated on her curious eyes and leaned against the round table. "I'm looking to break a curse."</p><p>Without breaking eye contact Penelope leaned back on her chair doing the exact opposite he did, crossing her arms on her chest. She held a little excitement back, since to her this just got interesting. "I'm gonna need more than that."</p><p>He rested his head on his hand, "First, you tell me why my most trusty witch is sending me here to you. What makes you so special?"</p><p>Penelope looked away for a second, wetting her lips nervously. She wasn't sure if it was wise to tell him everything. "What do I know? She's your trusty witch, not mine." She replied nonchalantly.</p><p>Perhaps her heart had skipped a beat, or maybe her voice trembled a little but Klaus's features suddenly had a wicked glimmer on them. He raised a brow, "I can tell when you lie to me."</p><p>Penelope let out a breath. When she woke up this morning she felt a shift in her world. The salt shaker had fallen right after she entered the kitchen, and the bells they hang on their doors to ward off evil spirits tingled without any sort of wind, not one window was open. You would think that with the amount of bad omens she had seen, she would listen to her mother when she had told her something was off, but for one day she wanted to believe things would be normal.</p><p>She could handle this herself, not involve anyone else, she didn't need an "I told you so."</p><p>After a small pause, she proceeded, feeling the pressure of his blue eyes. "We are a tiny bit different from the others, okay? Nothing too out of the ordinary." Her brows furrowed unconsciously, they were everything but. Even something inside her told her how dumb she sounded.</p><p>With Klaus's incredulous look she continued, "We have gifts that are not common in witches. We are empaths."</p><p>Klaus stood up out of nowhere, pacing the old red rug, the floor squeaked beneath him it almost seemed to be complaining of his presence. His mind was rushing with questions, "You're telling me I was sent to the house of a witch that is going to tell me things about myself that I already know?"</p><p>Penelope scoffed, "It's a little more complicated than that."</p><p>He smirked sarcastically, "Enlighten me."</p><p>"Well, for starters," she cleared her throat, "It's not just about feelings, with proper training an empath can be quite dangerous." She said matter of factly. She almost felt childish defending her magic like one would their favorite toy. "We can manipulate others, overwhelm them to death," upon Klaus's mockingly laugh, she added, " it is a real thing."</p><p>She stood up, head high, and approached him. She knew he was starting to feel a little more convinced about her, he motioned her to continue, and she did, "We can feel someone miles away. We can even mimic powers from other witches based solely on their emotional ties to their magic. We can read someone's thoughts as long as they're related to their feelings in question. Some are more skilled than others of course."</p><p>He closed the distance between them, enchanted by her soft voice. Penelope's ears rang with the sound of bells and wood creaking. Her mother was right something was off about that day, something had completely changed forever.</p><p>"Are you particularly skilled?" He asked, analyzing her every move.</p><p>Penelope took a deep breath and really looked at him. He was challenging her, he took pride in making her feel uneasy. He liked the attention, her attention. At any other moment, she probably would've refused, but everything in her told her she had to, it smelled like an adventure.</p><p>And oh boy did Penelope Wardwell enjoy adventures.</p><p>With a raised brow she spoke something that could frighten any man, "Only if you trust me. You are going to have to let me in."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi! I officially updated this fic on Wattpad, and I still do but I kinda wanted to try out publishing it here as well. </p><p>English isn't my first language so I do hope you can forgive me if you see some mistakes, also, I would like to point out that this story is far from properly planned, and it travels back and forth from the past.</p><p>Please leave some comments and I hope you enjoy!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ghosts of the past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>San Francisco, April 2009.</p><p>THERE WAS SOMETHING in the air that evening that didn't let her sleep. Cora had a feeling in her gut that told her something was off, that something was coming. She had been having dreams and flashes of feelings that weren't her own for some time. She was on edge, paranoid, anxious. She couldn't help but wonder who was the owner of those feelings and what could she do to quiet them down. Cora had asked her grandma Blanche a few questions about her concerns, she was a known psychic and learned to read tea leaves from a friend they met in Arizona. Her grandma persuaded her that nothing was wrong, that everything was normal, maybe her powers were growing. But something in Cora told her that she wasn't being all truthful.</p><p>Anyhow, Cora tried to get her mind off of the knot that was forming on her stomach. She was wearing the same clothes from the day before, her favorite red overalls that she borrowed from her mother a few years back, they were worn off with scratches and held dried flowers inside of her pockets, she considered them a lucky charm. Her long hair was pulled into two braids and she laid on the floor of the living room her feet in the air moving at the rhythm of the song coming from her grandmother's old radio. That's another treasure she had borrowed when she was only ten years old, her nona had spelled it when she was a teenager to forever play the best songs of the '50s, and when Cora heard those songs for the first time she sighed, a heart filled with adoration. She wanted to belong in one of those songs.<br/>        As she glanced up she saw her older sister flipping through wedding magazines with starry eyes. Her older sister Violet the one who would join her from time to time and listen to the love songs with the same sparkles in her eyes, she would always say the same thing, "I can't wait to fall in love." And Cora winced every time she heard it.</p><p>The youngest would always remind her, "Love makes us weak, Vivi." She wanted to name them, Flora and Erica and Poppy, her lovely cousins the ones that were like her, that were doomed like her. The ones that loved too much and paid the price of it.</p><p>Under the gaze of Violet's big brown eyes she spoke, "I love you, you don't make me weak." She had pointed out.</p><p>"It's different," she stared with a stern face, "I'll never break your heart," they promised each other that day with a red thread on their wrist, one that they tied seven times on each other as if to show destiny that nothing would tear them apart. The day it would fall would be the day Cora had broken her promise.</p><p>The young witch had been thinking of that day a whole lot lately, and as she played with the red thread on her wrist she remembers how those were conversations they used to have before Violet got engaged before Cora met her boyfriend Mason. Before she felt that her world was about to change completely.</p><p>"Well good morning, coco pie."</p><p>She stepped out of her thoughts to look up at the caller, she recognized the voice immediately. "Hey Nyssa," she answered fondly, "What are you up to?"</p><p>"Not much, watching over you. As usual." the blonde winked at her and peaked over the shoulder of the oldest Wardwell. Scrunching her nose in disgust as she stared at the pages, "That's a horrible dress."</p><p>Nyssa was probably one of Cora's favorite people in the whole world. They were best friends after all. The day the blonde and her brother, Lars, arrived at the house they immediately became inseparable, the fact that Nyssa was a vampire became only a small detail that didn't hold much importance in their lives.</p><p>"How's that lover boy of yours, Coco?" Nyssa asked, pulling her blonde hair in a bun.</p><p>Cora furrowed her brows at her, she really didn't feel like talking about her relationship not while feeling as she did. Foreign in her own skin. She wasn't herself lately and it had affected Mason as well. Their relationship was going steady, and the guy was the perfect gentleman with her. They met last spring, during Beltane the spring celebration at the beginning of May. Different covens had arranged to meet and celebrate with maypoles, honey cakes, bonfires, and lastly, as they always did, meddle in other people's love lives. He was a witch, she was a witch, could they make it more obvious?</p><p>"Everything's fine, uneventful," she answered plainly.</p><p>Cora heard the vampire click her tongue in disapproval, "It shouldn't be uneventful," she reprimanded, she beamed. "It should be exciting, and breathtaking. A once in a lifetime event," her eyes shined with childlike wonder and Cora rolled her eyes, smile plastered on her lips.</p><p>"Yeah, like...can't eat, can't sleep type of love," Violet interjected, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips. Cora sensed how she was missing her fiancé and she rolled her eyes. He lived a block away.</p><p>As soon as her sister had said that the radio abruptly changed, Love is a many-splendored thing, echoed through the living room and Cora narrowed her eyes at Violet. She hated that song, but her older sister loved it. The oldest smiled innocently. As Cora shook her head she spoke, "Epic love isn't for everyone. Sometimes settling down and searching for a little bit of normalcy is."</p><p>Nyssa frowned, "Cora you're not normal." At the look on her best friend's face, she retracted, "I mean, you're special and powerful and you deserve epic."</p><p>Cora smiled, she had known Nyssa since she was thirteen years old, she had been advising her on boys and helped her with homework, she made her days brighter with her happy go lucky personality that bothered her brother to an extreme. Oddly enough a man had a long time ago made a promise to her mother and since then vampires belonged in her life, no questions asked. They protected them, some faces she knew and loved such as Nyssa's and Lars's, others she barely crossed once or twice and many were replaced after a few months. The twins were a constant, she was grateful to have them around.</p><p>"It's safer this way." She answered back after a small pause. She didn't meet her eyes, "Anyway, where's your epic love?" Cora asked her best friend.</p><p>Nyssa hummed with a smirk one hum that Cora had heard plenty of times from her sister's own lips.</p><p>"I had plenty of epics, and there's so much more out there, I'm not worried."</p><p>"Yeah I bet the girl you had for dinner the other day was your true love," Violet said sarcastically, her eyes glued to those magazine pages.</p><p>"She could've been, but she talked too much and I was too hungry. Besides, you know you're the only girl I see," the blonde's wicked smile pierced into Violet and a simple look made the apples of her cheeks bright red. She hid behind the pages of wedding gowns as Nyssa stared at her amused.</p><p>Cora cleared her throat awkwardly.</p><p>The front door clicked open and Lars's blonde hair came to view holding a grocery bag. He gave the girls a polite nod before heading to the kitchen. Not a word was spoken.</p><p>       Lars was older than Nyssa, by two minutes, as his sister would usually point out. They both had their signature blond hair and chestnut eyes, if what Cora had learned about them throughout their time together was true, the siblings had almost five hundred of age and were complete polar opposites. Nyssa was tall and slim and wore streaks of pink in her hair, she would usually match them with a dress of the same shade and absolute always had a smile brightening her face. Lars wore plain clothes, grays, and Maroons he hid behind thick-framed glasses that he obviously didn't need and was reserved and quiet, the type you didn't hear coming. Cora had learned about him once when she peeked into his soul, how much dread he held for his own existence. And somehow Cora felt a wave of recognition overwhelm her. She too felt doomed and out of place.</p><p>Being an empath was both good and bad, she had lost track of the number of times she couldn't stand being outside, how she had enrolled in online college because she couldn't concentrate in class. The number of times she felt like a stranger to herself. The sadness of a widower would make her cry for weeks, and sometimes the happiness of a newlywed couple would drive her insane, make her do stupid things, and Cora had never experienced the heartbreak of her own but the day she got a glimpse into the soul of another made her sick for a year. But the positive side was, hearing her grandma telling stories of her youth and seeing every detail and smelling every scent as if she lived it herself. Feeling her family close even miles away and how a mere smile from her sister could feel like a warm hug. How seeing her mother walk through the door, humming her favorite song could take away any worry in her mind.</p><p>She felt everything deeply, and that made her capable of loving more.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>•─────⋅☽༓☾⋅─────•</p><p>DUSK SOON HIT THE MANOR and their Sunday family dinner was a little bigger that day with Mason and Seth joining them. After lunch, the girls had parted ways and Violet spent most of her evening walking around the city finding the perfect dresses for her bridesmaids. Cora had to admit that her sister had been irritable and bossy since her engagement early that year. Cora thought that maybe, the growing feeling in her gut and the fact that she was anxious and on edge was perhaps a reflection of her neurotic sister's feelings about her marriage. But why on earth would she feel paranoid?</p><p>As she mindlessly stirred the sauce pot, she heard faint chatter and soon she perceived the sudden mixture of stress and utter infatuation. She knew then that Vivi and her fiancé Seth were home. Upon hearing the familiar voice of her boyfriend, she smiled, the couple had been nice enough to bring Mason along with them.</p><p>"Hey you guys! It smells amazing in here, " she announced, approaching the kitchen.</p><p>Her small frame appeared through the door and she was soon hovering around Cora, sniffing the sauce she was continuously stirring. Seth walked close to her, Cora smiled at him brightly. She had to admit that he was the ideal guy, she thought that maybe Violet had done some type of spell to bring someone so annoyingly perfect into their lives. He was polite, loved by their parents, had a good job, the only flaws in the eyes of their grandma was that he wasn't a witch. But that only made Cora think he was perfect and lucky.</p><p>Their mother turned around from taking the cutlery out of the drawers and kissed Violet's cheek before filling her hands with them, "Thank you, honey, set the table please?"</p><p>Before their mother could say anything else Seth had stepped in grabbing the dishes from the side and Penelope smiled at him gratefully as he walked past, once he was near Cora he messed her hair as a hello.</p><p>"Sure thing," The oldest daughter smiled widely at her, she followed behind her fiancé and turned around one more time to point at Cora with a fork, "Coco, I so found the perfect dress for you!" She squeaked.</p><p>Cora lifted her brows unimpressed and smiled at Mason as he entered the kitchen and approached her shyly. He quickly waved at Penelope as she warmly smiled at him, he appeared at Cora's side kissing her temple, "Hey,"</p><p>The girl ignoring her sister's rambles kissed his cheek in return, "Hi"</p><p>"Are any of you paying any attention to me?"</p><p>Their grandmother, followed by their father, Tom, entered the kitchen, everyone's voice echoed altogether, "Nope"</p><p>"Funny," she pouted at their family and continued, "Cora, I'm serious downtown I found the cutest vintage store, and this dress was made for you! I'll fix it, you're gonna love it," she begged.</p><p>"C'mon Viv, like the last eight dresses you brought around? I still have scratches from the needles you so kindly stabbed me with, repeatedly, by the way," Cora pointed out.</p><p>Violet clicked her tongue dismissing her comment with a wave.</p><p>Seth interrupted before she could say anything else, "Babe, maybe," upon Violet's threatening gaze he held his hands in defense, "maybe, she could choose the dress herself? She is the maid of honor after all," Seth tried, daring to hug his fiancé from the back.</p><p>Violet prepared herself to complain, you know, like a child would, "If it were for her she'd wear those old overalls with a shirt and sneakers, no way!" she cried.</p><p>Cora scoffed, a fake thoughtful look on her face, "I was thinking, heels instead of sneakers, you know, to keep it classy, but since you put it that way."</p><p>Her mother laughed amused along with the rest and squeezed Cora's shoulder gently, "Mind grabbing the turmeric from the shelf? It's next to the Angelica," Penelope asked, a she checked the oven.</p><p>"Sure thing mom."</p><p>She left Mason on duty of the sauce and stepped out of the conversation. She quickly reached the wooden cabinet where they kept their most unusual herbs, and as she slightly graced the bottle of dried Angelica she felt weak in the knees. Her sight became blurry and she tried to hold on to something, anything, but her weight caught her off guard and fell almost automatically. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, but when she looked down at her hands she realized she was the only steady thing in her vision. Cora had a  feeling of free-falling stuck in her gut. She looked back desperately searching for her mom, and she saw her, or at least she thought she did, it was a version of her she never had the chance of meeting before.</p><p>She was younger, with longer hair, and was laughing while saying something, she couldn't really tell what. Cora tried to speak, ask her what was happening, but nothing came out. Cora realized then that the feeling that chased her the past few weeks, of being a stranger on her own skin was crawling all over her. Her mother then stared right pass her, it seemed she was focused on someone else, hell, she wasn't even there. Cora turned around following her gaze and she found herself face to face with a man, millimeters away almost, he was tall, at least a head taller than her, he had Sandy blonde hair, and deep blue eyes, he was smiling too. His hand was holding the Angelica bottle she had touched before, and her mind found the missing piece of the puzzle.</p><p>Cora frowned, she felt like in a dream. She was standing so close to him she could hear his breathing, at some point his stare seemed to be focused on her and she swore he could see her. But he frowned and reached pass her, closing the cabinet door.</p><p>"You know someday I'll come back, and you'll have to return the favor."</p><p>His voice echoed in Cora's mind, her mother was barely a whisper but he was in every fiber of her body.</p><p>Her mother smiled at him again.</p><p>"We will forever be in debt with you, Klaus."</p><p>Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.</p><p>Cora's mind went blank. And she suddenly gasped, air filling her lungs almost painfully, her blurry vision saw her mother's figure. For a second the image of her younger self startled the girl. Penelope was hovering over her daughter, with a scared look on her face, shaking her continuously, "Cora! Cora! Are you alright?"</p><p>Once the blurriness faded from her sight she mumbled, "What's going on?"</p><p>Tenderly, her mother stroke her face, she sighed with relief, "You fell, honey, are you okay?"</p><p>Under everyone's worried gaze, she struggled to explain what had happened to her, "I saw something, y-you were there and the man, h-his name,"</p><p>Her father kneeled down next to her, "Cora you're not making any sense, honey"</p><p>She couldn't really focus on anything else, of course, she didn't make any sense, nothing ever made any sense in her life. But it was at the tip of her tongue and she could still see him, but it was slipping from her mind like a dream would, maybe like a nightmare would, she searched her mother's gaze desperately, "Mom, his name."</p><p>She found her Nona's eyes instead, and she looked emotionless. Cora could almost feel the itch inside her head, her grandma was in there too and, she was seeing the same but it wasn't as foreign to her, "Klaus," her grandmother blurted out.</p><p>Cora breathed easier this time, his name rolling out of her tongue easily now, "Yes, Klaus,"</p><p>"Mom?" Violet's voice came out soft, and Cora knew she was a little scared.</p><p>"I think...he's coming," Cora announced, she couldn't really explain why but it seemed like she saw that for a reason, "He was saying he would come back. You were there," the latter came out a little more accusing than Cora meant to, and in fact, she was starting to pick up on the frustration from the room.</p><p>Her father helped her up slowly, and she sat  on a chair next to them, he shook his head running his hands through his face, "I knew this would happen, Penny, I told you this would happen!" His voice raised a little, he couldn't really look at Penelope in the eyes.</p><p>"He took his time," Penelope crossed her arms on her chest, Cora tried to understand why was she so diligent with this mysterious guy, "we can be thankful for that."</p><p>"Thankful?" Tom laughed dryly, he faced her this time putting a hand on her shoulder, "Penny, listen to me, we can't let him take her."</p><p>Penelope held his hand, searching her husband's eyes, she spoke softly, "He'd never hurt her, Tom."</p><p>Tom huffed, abruptly separating from her, "He can't promise that," he started pacing the kitchen, and Cora knew his mind was running wild with every possible scenario, she started pumping her leg up and down nervously, "Don't you remember? He lives a life completely different from ours, " he finished, pointing a finger at her.</p><p>"Mom, are you talking about the Klaus?" Violet interjected, trying to diffuse their banter.</p><p>Cora couldn't look at any of them, she was too overwhelmed, Mason took notice and rushed to her side, his hand sat on her knee and she immediately felt a rush of compassion hit her, she grimaced a bit, she really didn't want him to see her like that. His eyes never left her face when he asked, "You guys know who that guy is?" Cora sensed a tiny bit of annoyance in his voice, she held his hand to reassure him.</p><p>"He used to crush on my mom, " Violet dismissed, as if it were no big deal.</p><p>Everyone's eyes landed on Penelope and she turned to her oldest daughter, annoyed, "That is not how the story goes, Violet," she scolded.</p><p>"Then how does it go?" Cora spoke, finally, her voice trembled a little but she tried her best to compose herself.</p><p>Her mother sighed, holding the bridge of her nose, "He's an old friend. A good friend, " Tom scoffed. Penelope ignored his childish gesture and continued, "We met a long time ago, he wanted answers, so we made a deal. I would help him anytime anywhere in exchange for protection. That's why Lars and Nyssa are around. Because he sent them."</p><p>"So he's a vampire too?" Cora inquired.</p><p>"The vampire. One of the oldest in the world." Lars answered. Cora had no idea at which moment he and Nyssa arrived home but it comforted her to know they were there.</p><p>"And what does he want now?" Mason asked, stroking her girlfriend's hand.</p><p>"To cash in the other side of the deal," Nyssa spoke, sending Lars a knowing look, which he acknowledged with a nod. Cora frowned, and made a mental note of asking her best friend about that later.</p><p>"So since you guys made a deal, now he needs us, and we're gonna have to help him? With something that might even be...bad?" Cora asked, fidgeting on her seat. Her eyes were almost crystallizing already, she really wouldn't have reacted this way if it weren't for the mixture of emotions in the air.</p><p>Penelope shook her head profusely, "He would never put us in any danger you don't know him like I do," it sounded to Cora that she was trying to convince herself more than any other.</p><p>"Well, Penelope, it's been more than a decade people change," their father spat.</p><p>"What did you see exactly," her grandmother asked, she positioned herself in front of her grant daughter, when she placed a hand on her cheek Cora felt like every worry inside her lifted, she smiled thankfully at her grandma.</p><p>She recollected her thoughts for a second, "I saw him, talking with mom, and he said he would be back and that she'll have to help him, I'm guessing he knew she was an empath." The silence in the room answered for itself. Mason's hand squeezed hers in support and she squeezed harder.</p><p>Upon the silence in the room, the realization sank deeper, "It's my turn, isn't it? That's why dad is so freaked out. I will have to take on that responsibility," Cora mumbled.</p><p>Penelope bent down, caressing Cora's hair, she had known the original for a long time but seeing the look on her daughter's face devastated her. Her husband was right, a decade was a long time, they had changed too, things complicated with time. What was once a tale of her youth, an adventure, was now a scary reality.</p><p>"Honey, if you don't want to go. I'll tell him the deal is off we'll manage without his protection, we can handle our problems on our own, " she promised.</p><p>Cora's eyes widened, her gaze automatically fell on Nyssa and Lars, "I can't just let us unprotected. If aunt Enora-"</p><p>Her mother cut her before she could finish the sentence, "We'll manage, " she repeated, "I'll go in your place."</p><p>"Mom, you don't have your powers anymore."</p><p>"We will figure something out. But I promise you won't have to do this." Penelope stated. There was a fire in her eyes that Cora had never seen before.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello! another update! how are you guys liking the story? i'd love some feedback down below.</p><p>Are you liking what you're seeing from the wardwell's so far?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Mayday we have a problem</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>THAT ONE FATAL MORNING Cora sprouted roses at every step. It was a famously known omen of love when a witch grew flowers out of season, one that the young Wardwell never thought, and truly hoped she would never experience. That's why she decided as soon as the faintest smell of Rose hit her, to cut off the blooms that peered through her window, and at any sign of love, she ignored it. It was definitely an arduous task when Beltane, or Mayday if you preferred to call it, was only a few hours away. A known celebration for love, renewal, and fertility, a day to thank nature, and bless new or future weds. It was a day filled with pure positive energy. You couldn't help but be joyous on Beltane, and although Cora was skeptical of love, she respected traditions.</p><p>The young witch was sitting on the floor, hundreds of Rose petals scattered around her, her hair had bits and pieces of red and green hanging on them and her cheeks blushed in a similar shade. She had been awake all night chopping and pulling since the first rose sneaked into her window, like a peering and menacing snake.</p><p>She was absentmindedly tugging at a few leaves, her cat Frank Sinatra staring her from his peaceful resting position on top of her pillow, she locked eyes with his clear blue ones, "What are you judging me for?" She spoke, his ears perked up and he meowed back. Cora shook her head, "I don't accept your apology, Frank."</p><p>She named him after her favorite artist and above everything because the devilish feline infiltrated her life by climbing through her window, and charming her with his baby blue eyes, he also rolled and purred whenever Sinatra played through her radio so Cora was convinced that fate brought them together. She pulled at a white rose this time when she heard footsteps, and her eyes fixated on the doorknob, as it twisted slowly.</p><p>Her door clicked open, and in a panic, she started hiding away the proof under her bed, if her sister saw this, oh god if her mother saw her like this. What would they say? Would they congratulate her? Squeal in excitement as she faked smiled and agreed at everything they said? In fear of disappointing them?</p><p>"Okay, I know you're in wallowing mode," her best friend spoke, Cora relaxed, letting out a breath once Nyssa's frame appeared through the door, she sat expectantly for her to notice the mess, "I brought you some of Violet's famous rose-infused cookies."</p><p>The mere mention of the cursed word made her cringe, "No more roses please," she spoke in the softest whisper, as her eyes crystallized in despair.</p><p>"What happened in here?!" Nyssa exclaimed. She stood frozen with a tray of cookies and milk and a confused look on her face. Once the faint smell of blood hit her, she noticed the slight cuts on Cora's fingertips, "Are you okay?!"</p><p>She stood, walking past the blonde, kicking a few roses out of the way. She abruptly closed the door, and turned around, "Love happened."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Cora pushed herself off the door and closer to Nyssa. She took the trail from her hands and placed it on the bed, Frank lost no time in sniffing around and claiming the milk for himself, "Promise me you won't tell anyone, "</p><p>The brunette showed her pinky and Nyssa quickly glanced around, to the cat, the window, the roses, and back at her best friend she clasped their fingers together, "Pinky promise, now tell me!"</p><p>Cora brought her hand up in defeat, "Love is coming for me," she felt immediate relief after finally saying out loud to someone.</p><p>Nyssa couldn't help but roll her eyes, placing both hands on her hips, "And here I thought you would say something dramatic."</p><p>"I'm serious!" her best friend exclaimed, "The signs are there," Cora whispered, concerned that whatever magic triggered those awful threats would hear her.</p><p>"You're acting as if you've never seen them before?" Nyssa asked, and the question just hanged there, Cora's eyes couldn't meet hers and she realized that the young witch's heart was a little more closed off than she had imagined, "Oh..."</p><p>"I mean, I could just be growing feelings really slowly," she gulped.</p><p>"Maybe," Nyssa nodded effusively, "yeah!"</p><p>Both girls fell silent for a second a little too long for Cora's liking. She shook the thought off her mind and sat on her bed, legs crossed, arms crossed, "You can't tell, okay? I have it under control."</p><p>Nyssa slowly sat in front of her, pushing Franck slightly out of the way, she reached a hand to her forearm tenderly, "Coco, some things you can't control, just embrace it," upon the stern look on her face she knew there was no way of convincing her, at least not anytime soon. Nyssa had always tried her best to unlock some feelings inside that girl, but she was way too stubborn to allow herself to be happy.</p><p>She sighed, "Alright, I won't tell."</p><p>They fell into a silence, Cora could tell how Nyssa felt bad for her, how much she wanted to comfort her, but at the moment the last thing she could do was think about how much of a failure she was when it came down to express her feelings, she understood them all, but couldn't quite figure herself out. Cora thought the timing for this was just perfect too. First, she discovered an upcoming fate she had to fulfill, her father was acting all strange, her mother had a guilty look on her. Her grandma walked around with a suspicious aura as always, and well Violet was Violet, she stressed in the name of everyone else. Cora's eyes darted from her hands to Nyssa's face, she was looking away and had her bottom lip between her teeth, a thoughtful look on her face, something clicked in her brain, a question that hadn't been asked before, "...what was that look you gave Lars the other night?"</p><p>Nyssa's attention was all of a sudden Cora. She had stepped off from her thoughts in a way that the brunette could only describe as a deer being stalked by its prey. The question sunk her down a little, "What look?" Her voice cracked.</p><p>Cora shifted, clearing her throat, the last thing she wanted to do was make her best friend feel uneasy, "You know when we were talking about the original. You gave Lars a look that I've never seen on you before. You were scared," she leaned toward her friend a little, "I've never felt you be scared."</p><p>Nyssa's shoulders dropped, lightning of hurt passed through her features, "I thought you didn't read your family."</p><p>Cora grabbed her hand almost immediately, trying to catch that feeling and peel it away, "I don't, but I can still tell," she brought her index and thumb together motioning to her how little, "It isn't clear, but it's there."</p><p>The vampire believed her, and she breathed in a little easier, she contemplated not telling her, but when didn't she tell everything to her?</p><p>"He turned us," she admitted, carefully watching her reaction.</p><p>Cora was taken back. She frowned under Nyssa's expectant look, "What?"</p><p>"A long time ago, we were...Uh, friends?" She hesitated, what was the title to a relationship between an eternal slave and its master?</p><p>"What happened?" Cora inquired. She retracted herself when curiosity had made her words come out harsher than they should, "If you don't want to talk about it-"</p><p>"It's okay," Nyssa cut her off, smiling gently, "It's a long story, back when we were humans long," she swallowed, hard. Cora knew it wasn't an easy task for Nyssa to talk about her life, she could feel herself being transported into her mind, she suddenly smelled pines and fire, she could see green and clear blue sky and she pulled the sleeves of her t-shirt down covering her hands, feeling cold all of a sudden. Nyssa was different too, and more modest, she had long locks and an innocent aura to her. Cora snapped out of it, the soft voice of her best friend brought her back to now, "My brother fell in love with one of them," upon Cora's surprised raise of her eyebrows, she nodded, "Lars has never been the one to fall in love easily, you could expect it from me, obviously, plus that era was different, love was more..."</p><p>Nyssa smiled, and the young witch saw in that smile every kiss and every look, love letters, and flower bouquets, promises, and poetry, ancient love, the type that leaves you breathless, the type you dreamed of, read of, wished for, in Nyssa's smile she saw the ups and downs, the high and lows and above everything, the type of love that left you feeling..."Epic," Cora breathed out.</p><p>"Exactly," the vampire's eyes couldn't concentrate on a single thing, she looked around trying to unlock a memory that had been long ago put away and the key tossed, "Anyhow, Klaus Mikaelson liked his things where he could see them, and much to his despair my brother fell in love with his precious sister, Rebekah, and she loved him too, in Klaus's eyes Lars wanted to take their sister away so he decided that the best thing to do was end the poor human's life."</p><p>"What a dick," She whispered, her attention deep into Nyssa's eyes as if the images of the passing memories screened through her irises. She felt deeply about that time and Cora could see it as clear as the vampire's grey irises would allow her to.</p><p>"I overheard the conversation in the woods, he told his brother how he wanted to fulfill his plan in the most dramatic way possible at the bonfire that was taking place in a weeks time, they would later take off and never come back," she shook her head, "I knew I couldn't let my brother die. I had only one chance, so I asked around and you know how townspeople talk, someone said that they told them and the rumors were of someone that was really mad at the originals."</p><p>"Who?" Cora asked, entranced by her story.</p><p>"Their dad."</p><p>Cora frowned, curiosity rushing through her brain, Franck sat in between her crossed legs, and she stroked him softly, "what did you do?"</p><p>Nyssa scrunched her nose, looking down at her hands, nervously she started picking at her nails, "I spread the word. Just here and there said their names to travelers and told some stories to wandering sellers, and right before my deadline a mysterious man arrived, out of nowhere, this dude was odd-looking, like something was off about him. He knew who I was, he told me so the night of the bonfire, scariest man I've ever met to this day, he promised he wouldn't hurt my family and thanked me for bringing him there."</p><p>"Did he keep his promise?" Cora asked hopefully.</p><p>"Cora," she hesitated, closing her eyes for a brief moment and suddenly it was harder to breathe for both of them, "it was a massacre."</p><p>"Everyone we knew died, they were so angry that someone could've betrayed them, that someone had dared to call their father upon them," she shook her head, Cora knew that even after hundreds of years Nyssa was deeply regretful of her actions, it was the typical question of, would you risk one person's life to save five? But she chose that one person above everyone else, "The night they fled many died, the bonfire spread into the woods and some didn't make it," Cora's cheeks flushed as the heat rose through her body, she gently pulled the cat away relieving some of it, Nyssa continued, "the aftermath was devastating. We thought it was over, but when they came back was really when most lives were lost, out of pure anger Klaus and his infamous brother Kol went on a rampage, Rebekah, their sister, got to us first and fed us her blood."</p><p>Cora frowned at the selfishness of the action, Nyssa caught it and nodded agreeing silently but nonetheless, the story continued, "I remember vividly when I woke up, he stood over me, fury in his eyes, he asked me if I knew who had betrayed them. I lied, he knew I lied, didn't say a word. I knew in that silence I owed him, that we owed him, whether we wanted it or not."</p><p>"What did Lars say?" Cora wondered.</p><p>"For a long time he didn't know, I lived in guilt and fear he would never speak to me again, Klaus manipulated me to the point I thought I was responsible for the death of that entire village,"</p><p>Cora took Nyssa's hands into her own, she looked at her deep in her eyes, "It wasn't your fault, you tried to protect your brother, anyone would've done the same thing."</p><p>Nyssa looked away, "I tried putting out fire with fire and it blew up in my face," Cora didn't know what to say next, she knew that the guilt was still deeply buried into Nyssa's heart, and just like Nyssa couldn't help her be less scared of love, she couldn't fix this. But she could relieve some of it. So that's what she did as her hands still held hers, she slowly calmed her and gave her as many soothing emotions as she could, and when the vampire's shoulders relaxed and her voice was less cracked, Cora too breathed a little easier.</p><p>"Anyway, the story finishes like this, Klaus hates Lars I hate Klaus, Lars eventually finds out, he hates Klaus too, I hate everyone at that point, even me," she chuckled gaining an eye roll from the witch, "so we ran away, leaving a broken-hearted Rebekah behind, and a raging big brother,"</p><p>"End of the story?" She wondered.</p><p>"I wish. They hunted us down, compelled us for life, they decided we would make good eternal errand boys, we did anything they wanted blindly and believe me when I say you never want to fulfill a mission in the name of a Mikaelson," she brought her hands up in a ta-da pose and after a small pause, Cora clicked her tongue.</p><p>"I hate that guy."</p><p>Nyssa gave her an "oh what can you do look" and stood up, her hands subconsciously tugging at the hem of her dress, tugging it down, "I'm over it, Lars isn't, to this day we are still attending to his needs, but we got a new family out of it so I say thank you to Mr. Psychopath," she smiled at Cora and she reciprocated.</p><p>"Still, you should be able to pick your own path," she responded matter of factly, "it's not fair that he still uses you both whenever he wants," her arms crossed over her chest indignantly.</p><p>"We see him less and less through the decades, he'll forget us eventually," she waved off, "should we get you ready for tonight? I can hear your sister pacing, you know what that means," Nyssa singsonged, completely changing the subject, which didn't fly past the witch unnoticed.</p><p>"Yeah, she's about to overload," she responded, the wave of anguish hitting her, making her heart race a little.</p><p>"I'll take those cookies out of here before she knows I stole them," Nyssa decided, picking the tray and heading to the door.</p><p>"Yep. That would be best," Cora stood too, rushing to open it for her, as both girls stood next to each other Violet's voice echoed through the house, both best friend's shared an accomplice look.</p><p>"For the love of the goddess! Who took my cookies?!"</p><p>Cora dramatically grabbed Nyssa's shoulder as she whispered, "Run."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>•─────⋅☽༓☾⋅─────•</p><p>SOMEWHERE DEEP into the forest right above the bay. Both Wardwell sisters were late to Beltane, again. Their mother and grandma were always the first ones there, to prepare for the evening, their father usually left for a fishing trip with friends and the twins took a well-deserved day off.<br/>     Violet wasn't what you would call, happy. She had been snappy and stressed all day long, Cora thought that perhaps Seth had something to do with it, but didn't dare ask. She didn't want to be the one to bring it up. They walked in silence most of the time, but the youngest was more than fed up after a car ride and a twenty-minute walk into the depths of the forest in a never-ending pause.</p><p>"Since when do we put roses in our flower crowns?" Cora complained, breaking the silence as she fixed one particular flower that kept on hanging loose, and tickling her forehead, "I thought we always wore wildflowers," If the awkwardness of their silence wasn't enough, she was sure that destiny was toying with her, first the sprouts under her window and now her sister makes her wear them on her head. Just like an unfunny joke of the universe.</p><p>Her big sister turned from leading the way and approached Cora, who was walking a few steps behind, she gently waved her hands away and tucked the stubborn rose back into the crown, "I don't know," she frowned looking intently ahead, as if to search a scratch in the back of her mind that didn't exist, "it felt...right," she responded unexplainably. Violet stepped back once the look of the crown satisfied her. She gave Cora a brief nod and walked up between the trees.</p><p>As they sunk into silence once again, only the sound of branches and the slight breeze as their loyal companion Violet was the one to break the peace this time, "Where's Mason?" She asked.</p><p>Cora still followed close behind. She looked from the treetops and down to her sister, "He's always early," she answered shortly. Violet hummed as a response nodding with understanding, something was bothering her and although Cora couldn't completely sense her sister's emotions she knew why "How come Seth isn't here?" she wondered back as they reached an empty clearing.</p><p>Violet huffed, playing with the fabric of her perfect white dress. A frown appeared between her brows, "He was busy, he had better things to do," she waved it off, and although she was furious and hurt, her heart sunk a little. When things like that happened to her family Cora's heart would sink too.</p><p>"You're angry," her little sister pointed out.</p><p>"And you're being nosy," she retorted, her fingers unconsciously hugging a deep black amulet that always hung on her neck.</p><p>Once upon a time, their mother created an amulet that would protect the minds of her loved ones from none other than herself. She wanted to give them privacy and, above all, some peace of mind. Something that she never got as a child. Anyone that meant anything to the Wardwell's wore a variation of the same stone, Violet had the amulet as a perfect oval stone hanging from her neck, Mason had it on his wrist, Seth preferred to carry it in his Wallet, Nyssa and Lars wore rings. It would block any curious Empath to an extent.</p><p>Cora smiled at the gesture, "I don't need to read you to know you, you're my sister," she closed some distance between them, a mockingly smile creeping in, she placed her index finger between her sister's brows as she felt her relax under her touch, "And you frown when you're angry."</p><p>"I do not!" She exclaimed. Cora chuckled.</p><p>"You do! Haven't you noticed those forming wrinkles?" She mocked, a horrified look took over Violet's face, gaining a laugh from the youngest.</p><p>"Cora, don't be mean to your sister," the voice of their grandmother materialized out of nowhere. Their heads snapped from their bickering and Cora stared at her Nona in awe. She wanted to have that mysterious aura to her when she was old too.</p><p>The old woman approached Violet with a gentle smile, "Don't worry hun, nothing that some mugwort won't fix," she said, caressing her forearm in reassurance, staring at the almost nonexistent lines on her delicate skin. Violet's mouth parted, upset. She covered her forehead and rushed into the clearing, cross passing a barrier spell. It worked so that the curious eye wouldn't see their celebration. From the outside, it looked like the clearing was empty, but once you approached a bit, you could see the witches dancing and eating merrily.</p><p>Cora shook her head with a smile plastered on her face, and before she could walk past her grandmother in an attempt of chasing her sister inside, Blanche held her hand, stopping her, "You know, last time I saw roses bloom this early your mother was getting married," she pointed out, with a suspicious look in her eye. She approached her granddaughter and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers gently trailing the rose petals, "Violet found those under your windowsill this morning," she had stated a fact, but by the tone of her voice, Cora felt the need to answer, as if it were a question.</p><p>"Yeah, well, I guess we're lucky this year," she responded, trying to appear unbothered by the questioning. If someone in their house believed in omens, good or bad, that was her grandma Blanche.</p><p>"Maybe," the old lady squinted her eyes, the faintest smile crawling up her cheekbones. It amused her. It was like a game of cat and mouse. How long can an Empath lie to another about how they truly feel?</p><p>"I'll go find Mason," Cora tried to excuse herself.</p><p>As her grandma stared deeply into her soul she took a few steps before her voice interrupted her again, "Do you think that will help?" she pressured.</p><p>Cora suddenly turned around, crossing her arms, "What is that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"I think you know," Blanche raised a brow, analyzing her face.</p><p>The young witch shifted uncomfortably, "We don't read each other, remember?"</p><p>Her grandma patted her head, walking past her, "You know well that sometimes you don't have to."</p><p>Cora was left alone in the midst of the woods and her thoughts. She shook her head, trying to forget the fact that the entire universe was against her. She finally crossed the barrier spell and her eyes adjusted to the crowd. She smiled politely every time someone recognized her and waved at everyone that would call her name.</p><p>Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm, "Do you think I can find some mugwort in these woods?" Violet asked her in a hurry, concern written all over her face.</p><p>Cora couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief, but before answering the question her eyes caught the sight of two familiar witches, she grabbed her sister and placed her in front of her, attempting to hide behind her frame, "Don't... look."</p><p>"Why," Violet's first instinct was to search in the most obvious way the source of her sister's sudden change of mood.</p><p>"The shining twins are coming," she whispered, pulling her hands down, closing the distance between them, making it seem like their conversation was more private than it was, "just pretend we're talking."</p><p>"Okay," Violet agreed, "maybe if we laugh they won-"</p><p>Too late, Cora thought, "Well if it isn't the Wardwell's," a red-headed girl, with short hair and a freckled face greeted them, next to her, an identical girl stood proudly, the only difference was her long locks that reached down her hips.</p><p>"Hello, Dankworth's," Violet eyed them up and down suspiciously.</p><p>Magnolia and Narcissa Dankworth were Violet's and Cora's sworn enemies. The young witches were twins from a coven in North Carolina, they moved up to the west coast when they were seven years old. Their coven had spread with them and they were known to be rather talented witches that loved to play with fire. They practiced something called Pyrokinesis, and since they were small children, the sisters hated each other with a burning passion. Magnolia would pull Cora's hair, and Violet would push Narcissa into the sand as punishment. As they grew older, it was a back and forth of snarky remarks and constant showings of power.</p><p>"Violet, isn't it just so weird?" The same girl spoke. Both Wardwell's looked at each other, knowing well that whatever she had to say wouldn't be nice.</p><p>"What Magnolia?" Violet asked, already weary of the outcome of her actions.</p><p>"You keep showing your face around here, but I thought we invited only actual witches," she chuckled, "Not powerless flakes like you."</p><p>"Why are you here then?" Cora retorted. Stepping in front of her older sister.</p><p>Both were having a stare-down, and upon the lack of a good comeback, Magnolia hit where it hurt the most, "How's your aunt? Came back from exile yet?" Narcissa asked, squinting her eyes as pure venom fell off her lips.</p><p>Cora laughed humorlessly, "How's your dad? He married his mistress yet?"</p><p>The twin's mouths parted slightly. No one in the community was aware of the recent marriage of their father, nor his infidelity. But the Dankworth's always knew that their thoughts were never safe when Cora was around, "We would love to stay and chat but we should go start up the bonfire you know," Narcissa gestured around, smiling with pride, "it's a big responsibility."</p><p>Magnolia clapped, agreeing, she approached Cora enough for her to smell the citric wave of her perfume, she smirked down at her and almost too gently fixed the stubborn rose from her crown, fixing the bloom that had yet again fallen, Cora shifted uncomfortably and she smiled back at making her uneasy, "Yeah, when was the last time your family was honored to do it?"</p><p>Cora smacked her hand away, "Bite me, Magnolia."</p><p>Violet held her young sister's hand pulling her back, "Just let those pyromaniacs go, they're not worth it"</p><p>The twins had moved along, snickering and congratulating themselves; they waved around and put up a show while proceeding to light up the bonfire together, making everyone clap in amazement.</p><p>"They always poke at us! And we let them," Cora's annoyance showed in her features and as Magnolia turned to them with a smirk, Violet's eyes just like razor blades turned to Narcissa, the simple gesture made the young witch squeal in pain, she held her fingertips to her now bloody tongue after biting it.</p><p>"I didn't do that," Cora smiled at her sister.</p><p>"I did," Violet crossed her arms. She held her head high and solemnly as Cora nudged her. Both sisters exploded in a fit of laughter.</p><p>The moment was cut short when a young witch approached them. They recognized her from various celebrations and reunions. She smiled at the girls, "Hey, your grandma is asking for you two." She pointed behind her to a crowd of young girls that stared in amazement at Blanche Wardwell's stories. Violet lighted up in excitement, recognizing the famous tradition.</p><p>Cora rolled her eyes. She stepped back as Violet literally pulled her closer to the crowd, "Oh god, not again."</p><p>"Okay now, ladies!" Their grandma exclaimed, every girl was holding an apple and a knife, "peel the apple in a long stroke and throw it over your left shoulder, whatever letter it forms will be the initial of your true love." The girls giggled as Blanche approached her granddaughters.</p><p>"I love this!" Violet squealed, and Cora shook her head in disappointment, as her sister skipped happily towards the table of apples.</p><p>"Grandma, there's no actual proof this works, you know that," Cora reprimanded, seeing the pure glee and hopefulness in her fellow witch's eyes.</p><p>"Well well, the girl cutting roses down like a maniac at five am is suddenly skeptical?" Her grandma mocked.</p><p>"I don't need to do it," Cora shook the comment off, "I already have my soulmate."</p><p>Blanche took an apple from the pocket of her long maroon dress, handing it to her, "Then what's the harm?"</p><p>Cora eyed the fruit eerily. She didn't understand what her grandma's problem was, why suddenly she was the president of the Mason hate club, why keep forcing her to even think about it. The same woman that married more than once, that never loved a man in her life, was making her feel like shit. She opened her mouth, a hellfire forming in her gut.</p><p>"Cora!" A familiar voice interrupted her before she could say anything, Mason jogged to her and effusively hugged her from the back kissing her cheek sweetly, "I've been looking for you everywhere! My mom really wants you to try her raspberry and rose pie."</p><p>Rose. Again. What happened with originality this year? Cora smiled tightly at him, her eyes meeting her grandma's amused ones, "Great."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>•─────⋅☽༓☾⋅─────•</p><p>THE SUN WAS SETTING IN hues of orange and purple, Cora was laying down on a white sheet mindlessly admiring the clouds pass by, enjoying the pureness of the moment. The evening had gone rather well. She had basically forgotten about any worry; she ate every cake imaginable and gotten every blessing that she could from every elder at the party. Her mind was at peace. Something that didn't happen very often.</p><p>In the midst of her peaceful moment, Mason came into view, he stood above her with an adoring smile and held his hands out for her to grab, she took them, he pulled her into a sitting position and Cora smiled blissfully at him, "What took you so long?"</p><p>Mason sat down, a plate of honey-cakes in hand, her eyes shined in excitement, "I had to fight a furious five-year-old for this, I think she hexed me.</p><p>Cora chuckled, grabbing the plate like a treasure and quickly leaning in for a kiss, "My hero."</p><p>As she devoured the cakes with pure glee he stared at her, amused, his face suddenly dropped and Cora felt the wave of nervousness tugging at her, her own hand started to sweat at the rhythm of his.</p><p>She frowned, placing the plate down, "What's wrong?"</p><p>He smiled tightly at her, "I've been meaning to talk to you."</p><p>"Can I go first?" "I suck, I've been distracted, and barely there, I know, believe me. The thing is, I really care, I do. I just had so much on my mind, I still do. I hope you understand and know that it's not you."</p><p>"I get it, besides what happened the other night. You must be under so much stress. I just love you so much, Cora. And I really hope we can start talking about..." he gulped, Cora waited impatiently, "...important topics."</p><p>"Like?" She asked cluelessly.</p><p>He hesitated, his mouth opening and closing again until he could say it, "Our future."</p><p>"Oh..." she looked from his eyes to her knees, panic started rushing through her and when his hand touched hers in an attempt of comfort, his thoughts rushed through her, he was overloaded with feelings, and now so was she.</p><p>Mason could see her overload in her mind, which made him exclaim, "It doesn't have to be right now!"</p><p>Marriage and kids and a new house invaded her brain, a picket fence and a porch, a future with him. How could she be feeling so terrified of a wish so pure? How could she explain to him that she was heartless and, cold, and so not ready for this? How could she break his heart like that? "Wow!" She stood up suddenly, putting some distance between them, stopping every worry, and though he was passing on to her, her eyes darted to his wrist and almost cursed him for not wearing his amulet.</p><p>"What?" He asked, confused, looking down at himself, trying to find something wrong.</p><p>"Uh, nothing," she waved off, she looked back and pointed at the crowd of witches in front of them, "I-just wow! Maypole dancing! Let's go dance!" She grabbed him this time, pushing him toward the music and cheering.</p><p>"Cora, I wanted to talk to you for real-" he tried.</p><p>"We have all of our lives to talk," she said, and he loved her so he just smiled at her. She smiled in a way she only could, in a way he adored and could ever say no to, "Let's dance!"</p><p>The couple ran through the crowd and past Penelope, she was sitting by herself smiling at her daughters dancing and shuffling some old tarot cards, she started pulling out cards in an easy three-card spread, the thought of Cora on her mind. Her lovely Cora, how much time had passed. She couldn't help to think about Klaus too, the goddess the awful timing of that man, her eyes darted to Cora again, giggling with some friends around the maypole, she smiled lightly. She would be fine, wouldn't she?</p><p>"She woke up with roses under her windowsill, you know," her mother spoke from behind her, startling her.</p><p>"Must you appear out of nowhere and give me a heart attack every time, mother?" Penelope voiced, annoyed. The peace was gone. Upon the lack of response, she sighed and looked slightly behind her, not wishing to enter into her mother's antics, "She's young and in love."</p><p>Blanched sneered at her daughter, taking the place in front of her grabbing the tarot cards for herself, Penelope frowned, "By all means, take-"</p><p>"Are you blind, child?" She interrupted. Forming a spread of her own.</p><p>Penelope sighed, finally giving in, "What am I supposed to see?" She looked to her side, Mason and Cora chasing each other and laughing, she smiled tenderly at the sight, "My daughter perfectly happy and dancing with her first love?"</p><p>Blanche looked at the same direction, shaking her head in disapproval, "Oh Penny, you lost your perception when you gave away your powers," she grabbed her hand with what Penelope could describe as pity, and she blinked offended at her mother, "Look at the cards, you know what will happen."</p><p>"She's smart and strong," she pulled her hand back, crossing her arms on her chest, "She'll be fine."</p><p>It came out shaky, and doubtful, and she regretted saying it out loud, her mother could read her like an open book she didn't want to give her more hints than necessary. So what if she was worried? A mother is always worried.</p><p>Blanche clicked her tongue, crossing her legs, lifting her long dress from the ground, "Love has brought great downfall to generations of Wardwell's. And if the cards are right..."</p><p>"They aren't," she stated, firmly.</p><p>"But if they are," Blanched looked to her side, "she needs to know."</p><p>"Look at her," they both started at the young witch, as she danced unknowingly of her fate. "there's not an ounce of darkness inside that child," Penelope pointed at her mother accusingly, "You let her be, mother."</p><p>As Penelope stood, prepared to leave, Blanche spoke one last time, "He will be here in a week's time, think about telling her before then."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>•─────⋅☽༓☾⋅─────•</p><p>IT WAS ALMOST SUNRISE, which meant most of the witches would soon wake up and leave until the next celebration. Cora had woken up hours ago a thought had stalked her mind all night, she walked silently toward a small river, a perfect red apple in her right hand and a knife in her left. When her feet hit the border of the water she stopped to look around, just in case. The river's water flow was almost mesmerizing and the silence of the woods made her thoughts quiet, which was something foreign to her. She started to fulfill the task that brought her like a siren call to the clear sweet water, she peeled the red apple her grandmother handed her last night, she tried to empty her mind and concentrate only on her breathing. Once she was left with a bare apple in her hand, she stared at the fruit peel and sighed.</p><p>This is so stupid, she thought.</p><p>The girl turned around. She took a deep breath and threw the peel into the water over her left shoulder.</p><p>"Cora! Let's go! The sun is almost out! grab your moon water!" Violet's voice echoed through the woods, startling her.</p><p>Cora's eyes opened automatically. She hid the knife behind her back as she looked in the direction of her voice, "Stay there! I'll be up in a second," She yelled back. At the lack of response her shoulders dropped in relief, "Cmon Cora, don't be a wuss, just look at it," she whispered to herself.</p><p>Her eyes opened slowly, she held her breath this time, as her eyes focused on the apple peel. The shape of an "N" floated on the water, teasing her. She anxiously ran her fingers through her hair, "Well, fuck."</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>